WORLD

Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | A United Nations-imposed arms embargo on Iran ended officially on Sunday in line with a 2015 landmark nuclear deal, the Iranian foreign ministry said. “As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of …

New York, US | Xinhua | Global oil market will rely more on the Middle East as U.S. shale oil production is expected to continue to fall, according to industry experts. U.S. shale oil production will fall by 900,000 barrels per day in 2020 and drop another 1.1 million barrels per …

London, UK | Xinhua | For Alan West, a recently retired sheep farmer and agricultural lecturer based in South East England, concern is growing over Britain’s position on the standards of imported meat and the fate of the British farm industry. Earlier this week, MPs rejected the latest attempt to require …

LOS ANGELESL, USA | XINHUA |     U.S. President Donald Trump has approved California’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to wildfires, California governor Gavin Newsom said Friday. “Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request. Grateful …

ISTANBUL, Turkey | XINHUA |    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday pledged to enhance cooperation in a wide range of areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Ukraine and Turkey are ready to develop their strategic partnership in every field in which they have mutual …

Brussels, Belgium | XINHUA |     European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen started to self-isolate on Thursday after a workmate tested positive for COVID-19, she said on twitter. “I have just been informed that a member of my front office has tested positive to COVID-19 this morning,” she tweeted on …

London, UK | XINHUA |   British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that as the European Union (EU) Summit in Brussels refused to offer London a Canada-style deal, Britain will prepare to embrace a no-trade deal scenario. Johnson made the response following the EU Summit discussions on Brexit Thursday. EU’s …

United Nations | Xinhua | Although handwashing with soap is vital in the fight against infectious diseases, including COVID-19, billions of people around the world do not have ready access to a place to do it, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday. According to new UNICEF estimates, 40 percent …

Washington, US | Xinhua | U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden held competing town halls at the same time on Thursday night via different TV networks, attacking each other over issues ranging from the pandemic response, the QAnon conspiracy theory to the Supreme Court expanding. Answering questions …

Colombo, Sri Lanka  | XINHUA |     Sri Lanka and China on Wednesday signed a supplementary agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding on water research and technology cooperation, aimed at providing clean drinking water to several areas of the island country, a statement from the Chinese Embassy to Sri Lanka said. …